conditioning

American  

[kuhn-dish-uh-ning] / kənˈdɪʃ ə nɪŋ /

noun

Psychology.

1. Also called operant conditioning, instrumental conditioning.  a process of changing behavior by rewarding or punishing a subject each time an action is performed until the subject associates the action with pleasure or distress.

2. Also called classical conditioning, Pavlovian conditioning, respondent conditioning.  a process in which a stimulus that was previously neutral, as the sound of a bell, comes to evoke a particular response, as salivation, by being repeatedly paired with another stimulus that normally evokes the response, as the taste of food.

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conditioning British  

/ kənˈdɪʃənɪŋ /

noun

1. psychol the learning process by which the behaviour of an organism becomes dependent on an event occurring in its environment See also classical conditioning instrumental learning

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adjective

1. (of a shampoo, cosmetic, etc) intended to improve the condition of something

   a conditioning rinse

conditioning Scientific  

/ kən-dĭsh′ə-nĭng /

1. See classical conditioning

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Other Word Forms

• self-conditioning
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of conditioning

First recorded in 1915–20; condition + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

Cooling measures in healthcare facilities, care homes and schools are called for - from air conditioning to using shutters and blinds and tree-planting to provide shade.

From BBC • May 20, 2026

Investigators eventually suspected that the bacteria were airborne and had infected people after contaminating the air conditioning system at the convention hotel.

From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2026

At that time, there was only one boat a month, and the journey took up to six days without any air conditioning, while passengers today can pay for more comfortable sleeping cabins.

From Barron's • May 18, 2026

In lower-income importing countries, it manifests as shortages: Bangladesh has limited air conditioning to a balmy 77 degrees.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 16, 2026

When we finally stepped in from the heat, the air- conditioning hit my face like a splash of ice water.

From "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini

Related Words

• assignment
• discipline
• drilling
• homework
• preparation
• repetition
• training
• tryout
• workout